Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Explicit violence, language in gun-glorifying action flick.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sniper: Ghost Shooter
What's the Story?
In SNIPER: GHOST SHOOTER, an elite military unit is assigned to work with Georgian forces to protect an Eastern European pipeline from terrorists. When their top secret location is attacked by a ghost shooter time and time again, Sgt. "Gunny" Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) suspects a security breach and defies orders to learn who's behind it.
Is It Any Good?
The military is used as a moral shield to hide this action film's true motive: quenching bloodlust through big guns and bigger machismo. Sniper: Ghost Shooter feels very much like a video game, with long, gory battle sequences strung together through a simple storyline in which the young sergeant knows more than his commanding officers. It seems like a solid quarter of the film is seen through the sight lines of a rifle scope. And it's unabashedly derivative, from Sgt. Beckett's Top Gun-esque relationship with a civilian contractor/superior (Stephanie Vogt) to ripping off lines from better movies ("Yippee-ki-yay, motherf----r," "Say hello to my Russian friend!").
While the film's international locations are gorgeously shot, that beauty is marred by the blood spray and brain chunks that eventually cover the landscape. It's hard not to feel embarrassed for the talented actors who appear in it, including Dennis Haysbert and Billy Zane: This is, without a doubt, the kind of job actors take for the paycheck. And the takeaway is downright horrifying. The film's overall purpose seems to be to comfort soldiers by suggesting that, hey, sometimes we have to kill women and children. To project that message to wishful warriors who fantasize about racking up kills is revolting. But you know which element of the movie is most shocking? Despite the fact that it has nonstop action, a high body count, and intense blood splatter, the story is so rote and uninteresting that it may actually be sleep inducing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's explicit violence within the context of military battles. What techniques do films use to depict violence as either something to avoid or, conversely, something that's exciting?
Why do you think Sniper: Ghost Shooter was made? Do you think the filmmaker had a great story to tell, or do you think the studio saw it as a money-making opportunity?
Did you notice positive and/or diverse representations in the movie? Why does representation matter in the media?
Discuss the potential consequences of promoting the message that a sniper can't hesitate. How would the message be different if it included moments where the sniper's suspicion about his targets were incorrect?
Many of the characters in the film smoke and drink. Is substance use glamorized here, or does it help viewers better understand the characters?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 2, 2016
- Cast : Chad Michael Collins , Dennis Haysbert , Billy Zane
- Director : Don Michael Paul
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and sequences of violence
- Last updated : November 22, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate